SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara baseball opens the 2016 season by facing a reigning NCAA Tournament participant in Notre Dame Friday-Sunday at Stephen Schott Stadium. The Broncos begin their season against a reigning NCAA Tournament participant for the second year in a row, after opening up last season at defending national champion Vanderbilt.
The Broncos and Fighting Irish will meet for just the fourth time on the baseball diamond Friday night. Santa Clara won its first five home games last season.
Series Info
Games #1-3 | Home Games #1-3
Santa Clara, Calif. | Stephen Schott Stadium
Live Stats: santaclara.statbroadcast.com | Live Video: TheW.tv
All-Time Series: Santa Clara Leads 3-0
The Broncos defeated the Fighting Irish in a pair of one-run games at the 2014 Irish Baseball Classic — 2-1 on Feb. 20 and 8-7 on Feb. 23. Santa Clara won the only other meeting between the teams 9-8 on April 2, 1961.
Probable Starters (2015 Stats)
Friday, Feb. 19, 2016 • 6 p.m. PST
SCU RHP Mitchell White (3-2, 3.62 ERA) vs. ND RHP Ryan Smoyer (9-1, 2.27 ERA)
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016 • 6 p.m. PST
RHP Steven Wilson (3-4, 3.94 ERA) vs. ND RHP Peter Solomon (2-0, 1.40 ERA)
Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 • 11 a.m. PST
LHP Jason Seever (0-0, 6.04 ERA) vs. ND LHP Sean Guenther (1-3, 2.72 ERA)
Tickets: Single-game options and season tickets are available. Click here to purchase tickets (link to single-game) For information, call (408) 554-4660 weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or email BroncoTickets@scu.edu. Schott Stadium opens one hour prior to first pitch. The ticket office is also open one hour prior to the start of the game.
Parking: Baseball parking has changed for the 2016 season. Parking is now available in the Guadalupe lot, adjacent to 455 El Camino Real. The Guadalupe lot is reserved beginning 60 minutes before game time through the end of the event for free parking. Baseball parking is no longer allowed in the lot behind Schott Stadium's left field wall. Overflow parking is available in the Leavey Center lot. Spectators that plan to arrive more than an hour prior to game time on weekdays are encouraged to purchase a parking permit for the Leavey lot. All SCU lot parking is free on weekends. ADA parking is available in the lot directly in front of the main gates; there is no general public parking in this lot. Follow signs for parking instructions.
Game Promotions
Friday
- FREE Cracker Jacks for fans while supplies last.
- Kick off of the Country Mega Ticket giveaway series. Raffle is open to all Santa Clara students in attendance wearing SCU gear. Each piece of Santa Clara University clothing and/or accessories worn is equivalent to one raffle entry. Enter to win by visiting the marketing table located in the entrance plaza.
Saturday
- FREE peanuts for fans while supplies last.
Sunday
- FREE mini apple pies for fans while supplies last.
- Sunday Run Day! Youth 12 and under will have the opportunity to round the bases following the game.
Broncos in the Field
2015 Second Team All-WCC selection Stevie Berman led the Broncos with a .336 batting average and a .417 on-base percentage between 41 appearances and 39 starts in 2015. The Saratoga, Calif. native started all 27 conference games and hit .343 with 19 RBIs and 15 runs scored. He posted multiple hits six times, multiple RBIs six times and drove in 15 runs during Santa Clara's last eight WCC games — a stretch in which the Broncos went 6-2.
Berman was named Preseason All-WCC for the 2016 season. He also earned All-WCC Freshman Team honors in 2014.
The Broncos return four positions players who started at least 48 games last season:
Grant Meylan led off and played right field in every game for the Santa Clara and led the team with 35 walks last season. He was the only Bronco position player to appear in all 54 games in 2015 (47 starts in right field, seven starts in center field).
TC Florentine made 51 starts last season (47 in center field), and hit .246 with six doubles, three triples, 15 RBIs and 17 runs scored.
Jake Brodt started 49 games last season (46 at first base) and hit .266 with 11 doubles, 22 RBIs and 30 runs scored for the Broncos.
Kyle Cortopassi caught 12 of Santa Clara's first 15 games last season while Berman recovered from offseason surgery. Cortopassi transitioned to third base in the latter half of the season. The Stockton, Calif. native hit .231 and finished second on the team with 13 doubles.
Broncos on the Mound
2014 All-WCC Freshman Team selection Mitchell White took the mound more than any WCC pitcher during conference play by making 17 appearances for the Broncos. He stepped into Santa Clara's closer role when Reece Karalus moved into the starting rotation, and finished tied for fourth with five conference saves — just one behind the three pitchers that tied for first with six saves apiece. The San Jose, Calif. native recorded either a win or a save in seven straight conference games April 26 through May 10.
White was one of five WCC pitchers named to the Preseason All-Conference Team. He makes the transition from Santa Clara's bullpen into a starting role for Friday's season-opener. The right-hander has not started a game since his sophomore year of high school.
Saturday starter Steven Wilson begins his third season as a member of Santa Clara's weekend rotation in 2016. Wilson has made 23 starts between his freshman and sophomore seasons. In his first appearance last year, Wilson threw a quality start to help the Broncos upset then-defending national champion Vanderbilt.
Sunday starter Jason Seever has made 52 appearances out the bullpen and no starts in his first two seasons with the Broncos. As a freshman in 2014, Seever went 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA in 40.1 innings.
Notre Dame
Last season, the Fighting Irish went 37-23 and reached their first NCAA Regional since 2006. Notre Dame won its first regional matchup 13-7 over Wright State, and was eliminated after being shut out by Illinois and Wright State in consecutive games.
Notre Dame returns Third Team All-ACC selection Kyle Fiala, who led the team in batting average (.301) and runs scored (48) last season). In total, the Fighting Irish bring back five players that started 58 or more of the team's 60 games last season, including their reigning home run leader Cavan Biggio (nine homers in 2015).
Friday starter Ryan Smoyer earned first team Mideast-ABCA/Rawlings all-region honors and Third Team All-ACC honors last season. He led the Fighting Irish with nine wins. Saturday starter Peter Solomon and Sunday starter Sean Guenther did most of their work out the bullpen last season; Solomon earned four saves and Guenther had five saves. Solomon struck out 19 batters in 19.1 innings and Guenther — a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American — struck out 37 batters in 46.1 innings.
2016 Bronco Schedule Notes
- Santa Clara went 1-2 to begin the 2015 season at reigning NCAA Tournament participant and defending national champion Vanderbilt.
- Santa Clara plays seven of its first eight games at home; the only road game in that stretch is a midweek contest at San Jose State on Feb. 23.
- The Broncos have 13 games in 17 days to start the season.
- Santa Clara is slated to play four-game weekends four times during a five-weekend span from the end of February through the end of March.
- The Broncos face 2015 WCC postseason champion Pepperdine at home and 2015 WCC regular season champion San Diego on the road during consecutive weekends in April.
Connect with the Broncos on Social Media
Athletics: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Baseball: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Go Broncos!
